The majesty of Mount Rainier appearing behind a layer of clouds. Fog layered in the PNW Trees. The the roar of the ocean. But how do you choose? As your photographer, I can help you turn your dreams into reality!
You’ll get the space to dream and to choose experiences that allow you to live and feel something more in that moment, maybe try something new, but ultimately relish the next chapter of your life.
a day we'll never forget
Let's chat!
Check out my packages below, fill out my contact form, and then we'll hop on a video call to chat through your ideas! I'll answer any questions, talk through location logistics, and just get to know each other. :)
Reserve your date
I'll suggest the best package for you based on your ideas, and then we'll reserve your date with a signed contract and 50% down.
Your planning beings!
Whether you've got it all planned or don't know where to start, you'll get tons of elopement resources from me so you can bring your elopement day to life!
Lets officially meet...
and do the damn thing!
Hi, I'm Alexandria, a documentary-style photographer who is inspired by human connection and stories. As a photographer, my passion comes from celebrating moments, big and small. For a day, I get to celebrate you by giving you a chance to slow down, and let your love shine in those moments. I intentionally shoot more candidly rather than posing you all day. I help direct portraits through prompts and activities, but ultimately I want you just enjoy the day and have the images remind you of those feelings for many years to come. <3
What also sets me apart is my love of the outdoors! I follow Leave No Trace Principles. I am always aware of how weather is impacting areas at certain times of the year. I can tell you that even though it's spring in the lowlands, you won't have the same experience at 5,000 feet. I can also tell you that watching tides on the beaches is important so we can safely access different areas! I can also tell you, light also behaves a little differently in a forest vs in the mountains and I take my landscape skills + previous years in the big wedding industry and pair them together for amazing photos of you!
Woman Owned | LGBTQ & BIPOC Inclusive | Leave No Trace Aware Photographer | Ordained through the Universal Life Church
Meet Alexandria
I am a Leave No Trace Aware Photographer and designed my packages with Mother Nature in mind to create minimal impact. She deserves to be protected. She provides an amazing place for us and hikers alike, we can’t take that for granted. Any couples that come on hikes with me will need to adhere to the Leave No Trace policies.
Thank you for your help here!
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Plan ahead and prepare
Travel and camp on durable surfaces
Dispose of waste properly
Leave what you find
Minimize campfire impacts (be careful with fire)
Respect wildlife
Be considerate of other visitors
GROUP SIZE NOTE: I follow local land restrictions and typically 8-12 is the maximum you can have in some spaces (including your vendors) which is why established venue booked for the rest of your guests for a hybrid elopement/micro wedding is best. If you have more than 12, we will be limited on what we can do for you and your guests.
From getting ready to the end your adventure, you will get storytelling photos of everything you choose. You'll be able to relive it all again through photos and share with others not in attendance!
Book that vacation rental
Say Your vows in a cool spot!
Allow for relaxation time with your partner
Look into an activity local and special to Washington and do it!
Give yourself a fun dining experience
In other words,
Treat yourself!
"She's accumulated an abundance of knowledge of where the perfect elopement locations around WA state are. Plus, she has important contextual info about these spots that's often missed and we really appreciate her attention to these often overlooked details as it saves us the stress of dealing with such issues on the wedding day."
-Sam & Michael
"Our experience with Sage Trails was incredible! Alexandria surpassed all expectations. She was thoughtful, organized, and easy to work with when planning our day and taking photos. We didn't feel stressed when our initial location turned out to be closed due to weather; she had multiple back-ups, and recommended another location that was better than our initial ideas. Her cheery attitude and energy made our day so special. We love how her photography captured our day and tells our story."
- Taylor & Kevin
"As soon as we found Alexandria, I knew we hit the jackpot. Not only was she immediately kind and understanding during our first Zoom call, but she made every step of the process so easy. From getting to know us as a couple, to scouting locations (and sending us IN DEPTH options), to sending us a Wedding Day Bible to walk us through all the steps along the way (OMG it was AMAZING), to just being the best day-of, Alexandria was a dream."
-Tasha & Gabe
"She's accumulated an abundance of knowledge of where the perfect elopement locations around WA state are. Plus, she has important contextual info about these spots that's often missed and we really appreciate her attention to these often overlooked details as it saves us the stress of dealing with such issues on the wedding day."
-Sam & Michael
Our experience with Sage Trails was incredible! Alexandria surpassed all expectations. She was thoughtful, organized, and easy to work with when planning our day and taking photos. We didn't feel stressed when our initial location turned out to be closed due to weather; she had multiple back-ups, and recommended another location that was better than our initial ideas. Her cheery attitude and energy made our day so special. We love how her photography captured our day and tells our story.
- Taylor & Kevin
"The day she was so encouraging and laughed along with us. She made things very comfortable, and helped me with my last bit of changing. She helped make the day fun and I felt very at ease with her. And so far, the sneak peek pictures are amazing! I cannot recommend her enough!"
-Shannon & Mike
**If your plans don't quite match my packages, let me know! Let's see how we can tailor something to your day!
$5,200 + Sales Tax
REACH OUT TO LEARN MORE!
Photo coverage up to 8 hours on day one and 4 hours on day two. You're the couple who just wants to go all out and have your story fully photographed. You could celebrate with your loved ones one day, and then head out for an adventure on the next!
Photo coverage up to 8 hours. This is a great amount of time to photograph everything you value throughout the day. You want to celebrate as much as you can during all parts of your day! You want every emotion and moment captured.
$4,300 + Sales Tax
REACH OUT FOR MORE INFO!
Photo coverage up to 4 hours. You're the type of person who wants to keep it super simple! This timing would allow us a ceremony and a short adventure.
$3,000 + Sales Tax
REACH OUT FOR MORE INFO!
**if your plans don't quite match my packages, let me know! Let's see how we can tailor something to your day!
$5,200 + Sales Tax
REACH OUT TO LEARN MORE!
$4,300 + SALES TAX
REACH OUT TO LEARN MORE!
$3,000 + Sales Tax
REACH OUT TO LEARN MORE!
Day 1:
12:00pm | Sage Trails arrives to photograph everyone getting ready
1:30pm | First Look at cabin
1:45pm | Drive to elopement ceremony spot at Mount Rainier with guests
3:00pm | Ceremony
3:30pm | Family Pictures
4:00pm | Drive back to Cabin
5:00pm | Dinner with toasts & cake!
6:00pm | Stories and messages collected by family from people who were not there to share with the couple around a campfire with smores!
6:30pm | First Dance + campfire dancing
7:00pm | Photo coverage wraps
Day 2:
5:00pm | Arrive at Trailhead & start hike stopping and exploring along the way
6:30pm | Couple Portraits + Exploration
7:30pm | Hike back to trailhead in attire!
9:00pm | Photo Coverage Wraps
5:00am | Arrive at Airbnb to photograph morning shenanigans & getting ready
6:30am | Drive to Trailhead
7:30am | Hike in to Ceremony Spot
9:00am | Ceremony
9:30am | Couple Portraits + Exploration
10:30am | Brunch & Views
11:00am | Hike back to cars
1:00pm | Photo Coverage Wraps
---- Extended time---
12:30pm | Drive back to Airbnb
1:30pm | Campfire & Letters from Family, Private dinner.
2:30pm | Photo coverage wraps
--OR if you're doing a private tour of some sort--
12:00pm | Getting ready photos
1:30pm | First Look at cabin + portraits
2:00pm | Drive to San Juan Sea Farais for a private whale watching tour with a few guests
2:30pm | Tour Departs
3:00pm | Ceremony (timing dependent on whales an what couple feels!)
6:30pm | Drive to restaurant for a private dinner
6:45pm | Dinner with toasts & cake!
7:30pm | Sunset Portraits
8:00pm Photo coverage wraps
4:00pm | Arrive at Trailhead & hike to ceremony spot
4:30pm | Ceremony
4:45pm | Family/Guest photos/time for your guests to congratulate you
5:15pm | Guests head to picnic area, couple explores a different trail for portraits
7:30pm | Couple returns to picnic area for picnic dinner + toasts
7:45pm | First Dance
8:00pm | Photo coverage wraps
Elopements in the outdoor elements require a different skill set. We are familiar with nature which is probably the biggest skill set you're getting besides photos. For example - you want to get married up in the North Cascades in April? We can realistically tell you that it's still covered under 20+ feet of snow and will either encourage you to change your date or pick an alternate location (of which we can help with). We have backup plans built into our workflow process for if some reason Mother Nature decides to throw something at us, we can pivot easily. We know where to look to help you apply for your permits. We also follow Leave No Trace Principles so we can continue shooting in these gorgeous areas for years to come. Lastly, adventure elopement photographers know how to take photos in different environments so you can get photos of you and the epic landscape. Properly exposing for portraits is a little different than landscapes + people!
If you needed to get heart surgery, you wouldn't go to a dental surgeon, you would go to someone who knows exactly what they are doing. Same goes for specialized photography, which is why our prices are higher too.
HECK YES! I love venues too! Adventure looks different to everyone - if you're wanting more of a traditional experience on smaller scale, I'd love to photograph at your venue! You definitely do not have to hike. Or maybe if you like hiking, you could hike alone and then celebrate later at a venue with your group. I love it all. Washington has so many beautiful spots that feel like you're surrounded by nature too! Check out my resource here on Outdoor Venue Ideas for WA State!
I recommend a minimum of 3 months ahead of time, however you can also plan shorter or a year in advance! Contrary to popular believe elopements will still take planning to get everything in place! The benefit of booking farther in advance is a more relaxed planning experience. Ultimately, the permits you will apply for do take time to acquire and vary depending on the land manager.
Of course! The beauty of your day is you get to invite exactly who you want. If that includes some of your family- great! If that includes some of your close friends, great! Invite who you love :) Here is one of my resources on how to include your family, whether attending or supporting from afar! Please keep in mind not all outdoor spots can handle larger group sizes however, so I do limit the number of guests while in nature.
2 reasons! A lot of wilderness areas have group size limitations (12 total including vendors) to preserve it. A single step into a meadow can take years to recover. I'm a big believer in Leave No Trace and want to do my part to keep areas accessible and beautiful for many years to come.
Client experience is really important to me. In terms of micro weddings, I give my best version of my photographer self and art to smaller groups. Don't get me wrong, I love attending big weddings, but I'm an extroverted introvert and big weddings drain my energy. Smaller groups excite me and honestly allow for more personal interactions that I believe results in a better me and better photos for you!
This all depends on the location you end up picking. Easier hikes with big view payoffs will be less private. Weekends are less private because of when the majority of the population have off from their jobs! Some parks may actually not let you get married on a weekend as popularity keeps growing! I highly suggest weekdays because most people are working, and the trails are much less busy! You are purposefully choosing a smaller experience to get away from the big party, do you want to trade that for all the people in the park with you when you say your vows? If you don’t want that, I’d suggest a weekday to make sure you get a little privacy :)
This is a valid concern! I ask that you go with the flow as nature is unpredictable! When we chat, we can discuss the weather for WA. I will always structure your timeline for ideal weather, however we will create a back up plan case of undesirable weather. Because we aren’t tied to a strict timeline like a normal wedding, we can shift things around a little, if we need to miss some rain, or we'll get out the clear umbrellas and get some moodier shots. I will be watching conditions before your wedding and will be in touch if we need to put some alternate plan into action.
My favorite time is July - September as that’s when you’re going to have the best weather and the snow is minimal or melted in the mountains. Fire season is throwing some new curves in August now. Otherwise, WA is rainy! However if that mood is what you’re looking for - the Olympic coast and anything lowland can be pretty beautiful during our winter months.
You might be familiar with the typical getting ready photos from big weddings and think, "that's not for me." With elopements, I encourage you to think differently. Because you're intentionally choosing amazing elements for your day, you're probably choosing intentional things for getting ready too. Maybe you rented a gorgeous vacation rental, or maybe you two want to make waffles together, or maybe you are getting ready at a trailhead and doing a first look around your vehicle. All this is SO unique and different from hotel big weddings as you can already tell. It's the way you are choosing to spend your morning! We could easily spend 2 hours documenting getting ready!
Additionally, its a time for you to "warm up" to me! Everyone gets a little nervous when a camera comes out. By allowing me to photograph your getting ready, you're getting used to me taking photos of you and directing you before the ceremony and all important portraits! You'll feel much more relaxed during the super important moments having a camera around!
You don’t have to! If you want to, you’ll be embracing the adventure in yourself. It might get a little dirty and I’m all for that. We’ll take any activity slow to keep your sweat to a minimum. You can also hike with your dress in your pack, and change at the top!
Candid and documentary! I personally like to focus on your relationship and how you meld together, rather than just posing you. I might give you something to think about whether fun or serious, but ultimately I want the two of you to feel comfortable enough to melt into each other and just be there, together on your elopement day. Those are my favorite images, the ones where you are your two authentic selves. I also love watching moments unfold and keep my eyes peeled for these smaller moments.
Great question - nope! The point of having a photographer all day is to document that unique story you've created for yourself, not to make it through a checklist of photos. While I'll be photographing, I want you to have fun and not worry so much about me. The point of the day is your marriage, not me shuffling you into the next photo op! I'll definitely direct you toward the right light or help position you for artful shots, but I won't be asking you to just smile at me all day!
Leave No Trace is a set of ethics set out to help people understand how to treat nature. One of the ways I help steward this is limiting the number of people allowed on elopements. When you have large groups, it disturbs more than you would think! Some areas can be super fragile, and even one step off trail can be detrimental to the vegetation. I want you to be able to come back and visit this spot for years to come so I make sure all my couples follow this so we contribute to keeping the areas pristine!